Objective
A. BACKGROUND
A.1. Importance
Parasitic plants are becoming a severe constraints to Mediterranean and Tropical agriculture on major crops and the efficacy of available means to control them is minimal. By far the most economically damaging parasitic weeds are members of the genera Striga (witchweeds) and Orobanche (broomrapes). Various species of the latter are important in southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. For example, O. crenata causes huge damage to legume crops (faba bean, lentil, pea and common vetch) in southern Europe; O. cumana threatens sunflower in southern and Eastern Europe; O. minor is important in Central Europe on clover; O. ramosa attacks potato, tobacco, tomato and hemp; and species such as O. foetida that cause problems in other parts of the world are also present in Europe. Striga species are major weed pests throughout semi-arid Africa and parts of Asia. The crops most affected are maize, sorghum and dryland rice. Typical yield losses vary from c. 15-20% at the regional level, but are much more severe at the local scale and sometimes result in total crop failure. It has been estimated that the impacts of the weed result in >US$ 7 billion in lost yield, in addition to significantly affecting the welfare and livelihood of over 100 million people in Africa. Since those most severely affected are small holders and subsistence farmers, severe infestations result in serious food shortages for some of the world's poorest peoples. Indeed, many of these people consider that parasitic weed as their greatest biological hindrance to cereal production. Striga is not an agricultural problem in Europe, but there is strong involvement of European scientists in Striga research that aims to benefit developing nations in Africa. Methods and concepts for management of Striga are appropriate for Orobanche and vice versa. There are many other genera of parasitic plants (in fact, they account for approximately 1% of all flowering plant species). The mistletoes (e.g. Viscum album) and dodders (Cuscuta spp.) are widespread and attract the attention of many European research groups. An explosive spread of mistletoes has been noticed during the last ten years. Efforts are being started to monitor their spread in Germany, France and USA.
The main focus of research to date on parasitic weeds has been on their management when infecting important crops. Control strategies have centred around agronomic practices and the use of herbicides, although success has been marginal. There is, thus, an urgent need to re-evaluate control methods in the light of recent developments in crop breeding and molecular genetics and to place these within a framework that is compatible with current agronomic practices. Novel integrated control programmes should be sympathetic to agricultural extensification and exert minimal harmful effects on environment. In addition, global environment change together with changing land use patterns means that some geographical areas and farming systems that do not currently suffer from parasitic weeds in Europe could become affected within coming decades. It is, therefore, to pre-empt the spread of parasitic weeds and to consider, for example, how quarantine regulations might achieve this. There are also many other aspects of both theoretical and practical interest such as their origin and evolution from nonparasitic plants, their population structures, their evolutionary pathways towards becoming crop parasites, including their molecular biology, the structure, function and development of their haustorium, and their ecology. Thus, there is a multidisciplinary interest in parasitic plants from both an academic and practical viewpoint.
A.2. Global dimension of research activities
Several international organisations are carrying out intensive research activities on the control of parasitic plants, such as International Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), International Center for Wheat and Maize Breeding (CIMMYT), International Corn Foundation (ICF), Pan- Africa Striga Control Network (PASCON) of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Semi- Arid Food Grain Research and Development (SAFGRAD) of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
A.3. European dimension
At the European level several actions have been taken such as:
- EEC Striga Research Project (1985-1996),
- EEC-FAIR project on resistance to Orobanche in sunflower,
- projects on Ecology and Management of Parasitic Weeds of the Deutsche Gesllschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ),
- projects of the Spanish INIA and CICYT on resistance and control of broomrape,
- German Science Foundation (DFG) trilateral project (Germany, Israel, Palestinian Territories) on the biocontrol of broomrape,
- projects of the Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research on biocontrol of broomrape,
- projects of the UK Department for International Development on control of Striga,
- INCO-DEV project on Striga control in Africa.
- EU-Maire Curie fellowships on resistance to broomrapes.
A.4. Interactions with related COST-actions
With a number of related COST-actions synergies are expected and should be promoted by joint workshops or publications. The following actions are likely to offer opportunities for collaboration:
- The recently completed COST Action 816 on Biological Control of Weeds in Europe had a Working Group specifically devoted to aspects of the biocontrol of Orobanche. The coordinator and some of the participants of that WG support our proposal and are interested in our WG2.
- COST 830 on Microbial Inoculants in Agriculture and Environment. Possible interaction with our WG2 and WG4 on Formulation Technology.
- COST 836 Agricultural Important Toxigenic Fungi. Possible interaction with our WG2 and WG4 on biocontrol agents.
- COST 840 Apoptosis and Programmed Cell Death. Possible interaction with our WG3 on mechanisms of resistance.
B. OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS
The main objective of this Action is to increase our understanding of the interaction between parasitic plants and their hosts in order to implement sustainable means of control. To reach this goal the Action will facilitate active interfacing among botanists, ecologists, anatomists, physiologists, biochemists, molecular biologists, breeders, plant pathologists, weed scientists, chemists and agronomists, towards informal and formal joint research projects. The lack of interdisciplinary involvement has been a major factor that has impeded progress in the sustainable control of parasitic weeds and this proposal aims to address this deficiency. Secondary objectives of the proposed actions are:
Interdisciplinary Research: The lack of interdisciplinary involvement has been a major factor that has impeded progress in the sustainable control of parasitic weeds. Within international research programmes on management of parasitic plants, the proposed COST-action will allow to establish a focal point of research on Parasitic Plants in Europe.
Development of technology and feasibility assessment: Joint research effort within the proposed action will facilitate the translation of fundamental research into field application and shall ultimately yield sustainable management measures. The Action will integrate fundamental, biotechnological and marker-technological science and the applied research concepts to develop sustainable means of management integrating cultural practises, genetic resistance, and novel methods of biological- and chemical control. Further, it is important to include socio-economic analysis of improved management methods to determine their efficacy under field conditions. A European coordination of long term strategies for the use of resistance genes can prolong the "life span" of resistance genes, and integration with cultural practises, biocontrol, and use of herbicides. The use of transgenics with failsafes for their safe use in the future will be considered. This should be economically and environmentally useful and further prolong the usefulness of both host resistance genes and control agents.
C. SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME (definition of working groups)
Facilitation will focus on developing and furthering joint projects, as well as providing a forum for the members of the different projects to interact on:
- Molecular taxonomy, developmental anatomy and physiological agro-ecology of parasitic plants that will have significant implications for the development of control measures.
- The distribution, incidence and importance of the parasitic plants in Europe, including the invasion and northwards progression of parasitic weeds under predicted global climate change scenarios, as well as evolutionary changes within the species.
- Agreement on the validity of legal aspects such as quarantine rules and control of trafficking of parasitic plants, or the need to implement new regulations.
- Monitoring the parasitic plant populations for frequency of virulence factors and for genetic variation.
- Development and evaluation of methods for screening and assessment of resistance to parasitic plants and the identification of resistance genes and mechanisms that are operative.
- Studies on the inheritance and mapping of the resistance. The linked markers will enable marker-assisted breeding for resistance, as well as for gene isolation.
- Tests the effects of novel cultural practises.
- Tests to evaluate breeding lines with resistance in various management systems.
- Identification, augmentation, exploitation and formulation of biocontrol agents.
- Identification and exploitation of genes in resistant plant species that could be engineered into susceptible crops.
Activities undertaken will include:
- Annual Meetings of the WGs
- Scientific Conferences (see section D) that pertain to the objectives of the Action and are open to a wide audience, and may combine the working-field of several of the working groups.
- Publication of proceedings and other publications to spread the results and conclusions of the WG members to a wider audience.
- Establishment of a Homepage on the internet to inform members and non-members about the activities of the Action.
- Short-term Scientific Missions among participating laboratories to contribute to the realisation of the scientific objectives of the Action. These Missions will strengthen the existing networks by allowing scientists to go to a laboratory in another COST country to learn a new technique or to make measurements using instruments or methods not available in their own laboratory.
D. ORGANISATION AND TIMETABLE
The Action will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of document COST 400/94, Rules and Procedures for implementing COST Actions.
The Action will be coordinated by a Management Committee (MC) that meets once or twice a year, preferably in local laboratories or at scientific meetings. The MC will elect a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.
The Action will be organised within four Working Groups (WG):
WG1:Biology and ecology of parasitic plants
This group will facilitate the active interfacing of biologists, botanists, ecologists, chemists and anatomists. This will increase our understanding of the biology of the host and the parasitic plant, and their interaction, as well as the dynamics of the parasitic plants populations, their spread of with climate change and change in land use and the evolution of parasitic plants. It will also identify geographical areas and farming systems within Europe that are likely to be particularly threatened by parasitic weeds in forthcoming decades.
WG2:Parasitic plant - pathogen and pest interaction
This group, made up of pathologists, physiologists, biochemists, biologists and formulation specialists, will study relations between putative biocontrol agents and the parasitic weed, to facilitate arriving at field compatible solutions. Both insect and fungal biocontrol agents will be examined.
WG3:Genetic resistance
Breeders, pathologists, biochemists and molecular biologists will interact in this group to identify, characterise, map, exploit and engineer genes for resistance of the host plant to the parasitic plants (long term aim) and to herbicides (short term solution that will allow control of the parasite without affecting the host).
WG4:Integrated control
Agronomists, breeders, pathologists and entomologists will concentrate efforts to integrate control measures such as quarantine, cultural practises, biocontrol, resistance, chemical control in order achieve sustainable levels of control, minimising hazard effects to the environment and prolonging the durability of existing sources of genetic resistance. This group will also include socio-economists to evaluate the efficacy of potential control methods. Each of these working groups will have a coordinator, to be appointed by the MC. The WGs will report to the MC, at least once per year. In order to stimulate the WGs, the MC will organise joint activities and joint meetings among WGs.
The MC will establish contacts with other COST actions in related fields (i.e. members of the terminated COST816 action on Biological Control of weeds in Europe) and with scientific fora such as European Weed Research Society (EWRS), European Association for Grain Legume Research (AEP), European Foundation for Plant Pathology (EFPP) and European Crop Protection Association (ECPA). Such contacts will promote more collaboration between researches with complementary expertise and facilities.
The duration of the Action will be five years. A five year duration is considered necessary as the Action is tackling symbiosis which is a complex biological process. The transfer of scientific results into practical agriculture to ensure sustainability requires more than average coordination and communication efforts. That is why the maximum operating period of five years is sought: Year 1: Start of the action. 6 months for publicity, recruitment of WG coordinators and members; first meeting of the MC.
First joint meeting for all the WGs in a conference (1) on biology of parasitic plants with invited speakers; also separate meetings of the WGs.
We will explore the possibility of holding this as a satellite meeting to the forthcoming 7th International Parasitic Weed Symposium in France, 5-8 June 2001.
Year 2: Meeting of the MC and separate WGs to plan collaborative actions. Scientific conference (2) on management measures for parasitic plants, parallel meetings of the WGs and of the MC.
Year 3: Meeting of MC and separate WGs to evaluate progress and plan further collaborative actions. Scientific conference (3) on resistance to parasitic plants, also open to members of the
other WGs.
Year 4: Scientific conference (4) on biocontrol of parasitic plants. Joint meeting of WGs and of MC.
Year 5: Meeting of MC and separate WGs to evaluate activities. Final evaluation meeting (conference 5) with invited speakers.
E. ECONOMIC DIMENSION
The following 14 COST countries have actively participated in the preparation of the Action or otherwise indicated their interest: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom. Additionally, scientists in Israel and Yugoslavia with considerable expertise in this area have shown a deep interest in joining the Action.
On the basis of national estimates provided by the representatives of these countries and taking into account the coordination costs to be covered over the COST budget of the European Commission, the overall cost of the activities to be carried out under the Action has been estimated, at 2000 prices, at roughly EUR 25 million. This estimate is valid under the assumption that all the countries mentioned above but no other countries will participate in the Action. Any departure from this will change the total cost accordingly.
The total number of person-year expected to be involved in the action will be 82: Austria 2, Bulgaria 6, Denmark 3, France 8, Germany 8, Greece 3, Holland 8, Hungary 1, Israel 6, Italy 4, Romania 1, Russia 3, Slovakia 3, Spain 13, Sweden 1, United Kingdom 12.
Diffusion
The achievements of the action will be periodically disseminated in the conferences and workshops described in section C. In addition updated information will be available in the internet Home page of the Action that will be created, and within the Cordis-homepage. By these means, the organisational framework, topics of WGs involved as well as upcoming events will be presented.
Annual reports will be published and distributed among participants.
Results will also be disseminated within the scientific community by publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international meetings, both scientific as well as more policy-related meetings. A yearly symposium is envisaged, preferably in the form of satellite meetings in conjunction with an international conference related to the subject.
Because of the existing links of participating scientists with CGIAR institutes such as IITA, ICRISAT and ICARDA and the FAO, results of the action will be readily disseminated to user groups in the developing countries.
It is expected that participating scientists interact by either joint research projects on these topics, by short-term exchange or in the form of workshops. Where applicable, proprietary claims of academic or industrial collaborators need to be addressed in separate agreements as outlined in COST guideline 400/94,
Involvement of potential users.
There are many links between the participating scientists and potential users such as farming organisations, breeding and plant protection companies and international organisations such as the CGIAR institutes and the FAO. These links will ensure that potential users are informed about the results of the action. In addition the COST action will strive to enable attendance at some of the meetings by representatives involved in parasitic plant research/control from developing countries.
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
Data not availableCoordinator
Spain